White mates in two moves, against any defence (by D Brock). White is five pieces up and the BK has no move, but look for a surprise answer.

Britain's youngest grandmaster David Howell, 18, is top seed for the British championship starting at Torquay on Monday. Online bookmakers Betfair make the Sussex student the 9–4 favourite, with only defending champion Stuart Conquest and the other young GMs Gawain Jones, 21, and Stephen Gordon, 22, also rated serious contenders.

Howell did win the impressive game below last week in the Greek League (many national leagues hire mercenaries) when he beat a higher rated GM who rarely loses outside elite company. The opening was notable, too. The move 3...Qd6 (rather than Qa5) is fashionable and some reckon it rehabilitates the traditionally dubious Centre Counter 1...d5. White's 11 Ne5!? improved on 11 Nxb6 in Radjabov v Nisipeanu, Bazna 2009, where the GMs quickly drew. Howell still had to exchange his knight but did so for Tiviakov's more active knight, leaving its partner stranded on the Q-side. Then White built up his pressure until Tiviakov grabbed a hot pawn at moves 30-31 and lost decisive material.